Illusory Affair
by Aerysa
Summary: Theme - Deep in Thought. News of a former classmate's nuptial bliss causes Misaki to stop and think of subjects that never bothered her in the past.


Back with more... Just cuz my brain is stuck. Lol~ I have ideas in my head (for _Revenge_), but I'm not in the mood to write them yet.

Another theme story for "Deep in Thought". Sometimes, I think I have the weirdest ideas ever... haha~ I've read through this a couple times and all I can say is that I liked it a lot more while I was writing it than I do on reflection and editing. Alas, it is written, so it shall be shared! XD

* * *

**Illusory Affair**

Stopping and turning, Misaki couldn't help but look up at the building that had quickly become a home to her. The Foreign Affairs office stood proud and tall amongst all the other buildings. She spent more time here than she did anywhere else. All those long days turning into long nights as she pored over reports and Contractor updates. Countless hours spent hunting and chasing in attempts to lock away another threat to society.

She never had time to spare for other things. Marriage. Children. Love. Those things just didn't mix with her lifestyle. Constantly on the run with dangerous threats to her life, along with those of her co-workers and subordinates; she didn't think she could subject another person to that type of life - especially not if he was her husband.

Sighing softly, she was leaving late again. It was nothing new. But there was something different about her today than her on any other day. Kanami had contacted her regarding Ichijou Ume, a former classmate from high school. It wasn't like they had kept in touch. At least she hadn't. She wouldn't be surprised if Kanami had since she was much better at socially-oriented tasks.

According to Kanami, Ume had pulled out her old yearbook and decided to invite her former classmates to a party that served as both a ten-year reunion as well as a baby shower since she was expecting. It had taken her a few moments to even recall who the other girl was. Then she had felt apprehensive regarding the situation since she wasn't like other women - love and lovers as main topics of discussion. Even in high school she never really got along with others who thought like that.

The question regarding her own love life, absolutely non-existent, was bound to come up. Her priorities were different. She wasn't sure she wanted to put herself out there in a situation where she could potentially be judged. It wasn't like she was ashamed of her career choice; far from it. She was just worried that people would badger her regarding the issue. Kanami wasn't seeing anyone, but at least her friend cared to look, unlike her.

Standing outside of the building where she had built up her career, Misaki couldn't help but reflect on the subject. It wasn't the wrong choice. She liked her job and she always felt a sense of satisfaction when they managed to lock away another dangerous Contractor. But people didn't know about their existence. They wouldn't understand.

What would her life be like if she did have a lover? She couldn't even begin to imagine; the idea was completely foreign to her. Her professional life had always come first. She couldn't imagine any man being satisfied with coming in second every single time.

A dry laugh escaped her throat as she could just see it now. It would be her husband's birthday or their wedding anniversary and she wouldn't be able to make it because she was trying to finish up a report. Or even worse, they would be in the middle of making love when an urgent phone call came. She would quickly jump out of bed and get dressed while answering it.

_No, I don't think any man would be satisfied,_ she mused.

Even so, her friend knew her too well; commenting on all of her sudden insecurities. Kanami assured her that things would be fine if she decided to attend. In fact, she had urged her to attend based on the very fact that she locked herself inside too often. Kanami had promised that the two of them would go together and stick together if it turned out that they were the only two still unmarried.

Sighing again, she wasn't sure if she wanted to. Kanami wasn't married because she was picky and because she hadn't found the right man yet. As for her, she wasn't married because she wasn't even looking in the first place. There was a huge difference between the two situations...

Give her a Contractor to chase down and she was fine. Even chasing a regular criminal, she would be fine. But stick her in a room full of chatty and gossiping women... She had a distinct feeling that she would rather shoot herself in the foot before forcing herself to attend.

_But just for a moment..._

Letting herself pretend and fantasize about a potential married life, she first had to find a man to marry. Her mind quickly went through the list of men she knew. Saitou, Kouno, Matsumoto, Horai, November... Abashed by her thoughts, she was surprised her mind lingered on the Black Reaper rather than Li-kun, the foreign exchange student Kanami always teased her about liking.

"The Black Reaper," she murmured to herself, wondering what his name actually was.

She couldn't imagine that he was always Black Reaper. That was an alias given to him after he had become a Contractor. There must be a real name that someone else used. What would someone call him if he or she were familiar with him?

"No, no," she muttered. "It doesn't make sense. I don't even know what he looks like. I don't know anything about him."

Pushing aside thoughts of the Black Reaper, Misaki turned her thoughts to Li-kun. There was a better choice when it came to a potential mate. After all, he wasn't a mysterious Contractor who hid his features. He was a charming young man and she enjoyed his company; the short segments of time she had spent with him. Besides, the two of them had things in common which should be an important criterion. They both liked to eat... And unfortunately, that was the only thing in common that she could recall at the moment.

Again, she was disconcerted when her thoughts drifted back to the Black Reaper. For some reason, she couldn't push him out of her mind. Despite being a Contractor, he didn't seem like a terrible person. After all, he had saved her once when they were at Alice's party. He didn't have to. In fact, he should have killed her. Yet he didn't. He saved her from Wei Zhijun and disappeared, like he always did.

Since this was all fantasy anyways, she let herself indulge in the thought that she was in a relationship with the notorious Contractor. How awkward would that be? To be in love with a man when she didn't even know his real identity; not even his face or his name. Just that voice...

A shudder went down her spine as she recalled the deepness of his voice. If she was a frivolous woman, she would have willingly fallen into his arms - not that they were open and waiting for her. But hypothetically speaking, she could see it happening. After all, she was pretending that she wasn't Misaki the policewoman, but just Misaki the woman.

"Black Reaper," she murmured, closing her eyes with her head tilted back.

* * *

Standing on the building top opposite of Foreign Affairs, Hei glanced down with curiosity as he saw Misaki frozen in front of it. Her eyes were turned heavenward. She seemed to be thinking about something, but he didn't know what. On occasion, he saw her lips move. He was too far away to hear what she said. He had been watching her for some minutes as he peeked in on her from time to time.

He knew he shouldn't be here, but no one had found out yet. Suspecting that Yin knew, she never said anything regarding the situation. After all, her loyalties were to him and not Huang. As for Mao, Hei hardly doubted that the cat would be able to track him this far out. It wasn't like he always came to check on her; just whenever he was close by and had some extra time to kill.

The rooftop was the perfect position since he could gaze into her office windows. Every night, she would be hard at work until late, late hours. She was always one of the last, if not the very last person to leave. He didn't think anyone worked as hard as she did.

Five minutes passed and she was still standing there. It wasn't like her since she usually rushed out to her car with a small stack of papers under one arm and her purse slung over her shoulder. Tonight, she had paused in front of the building and she wasn't carrying anything extra.

Another five minutes passed and Hei couldn't ignore the feeling of inquisitiveness tugging at him. Using his wire, he propelled himself down the building and landed softly on the sidewalk on the opposite side of the road. Stopping, he waited quietly to see if she turned around. Nothing.

Retracting his wire, he carefully made his way across the street towards her. Somehow, he thought that she would suddenly whip her head around and glare at him, waving her gun in his direction. She never did. In fact, she didn't move at all as she continued to stare upwards. From an angle, he saw her lips move again and he knew that he had to get closer.

"Black Reaper," he heard her murmuring, stunned to hear his name on her lips.

He moved closer, each step tentative as he didn't want to alarm her. She was lost in a train of thought and he wanted to know what it was that she was thinking about. After all, his name had been on her lips.

Standing a foot away, he watched her carefully. Surprisingly, she had a tender expression on her face and he wondered how the expression matched with the words she had just murmured. She was usually desperately chasing him down whenever they met up. A gentle expression and his name just didn't seem to go together.

"No, that just doesn't work," she muttered with a weary sigh. "It loses its appeal."

She shook her head and Hei still couldn't figure out what she was thinking about. If only she said more... Instead, all her thoughts were trapped inside with the random verbal outburst. Yet nothing indicated how he fit into the picture; or what she was thinking about in the first place.

"That's right," she suddenly said. "It has to be exciting and exhilarating. Why else would I so obsessively chase after him?"

Arching an eyebrow behind the mask, Hei was confused as to why she was analyzing her reasons for chasing him. It was her job; wasn't that reason enough? Nevertheless, here she was stating that she chased after him obsessively. The information pleased him; to know that he wasn't the only one who felt something. After all, why else would he always visit her when he had a chance, even if it was from afar?

"Stick your hands up in the air! You're under arrest!" she exclaimed unexpectedly.

Startled by her outburst, Hei had his hands halfway into the air when he realized that she was still thinking. Her eyes were still closed and she was still standing with her head tilted backwards. Even now she didn't realize that he was standing next to her, keeping her company.

"Hm... And then what would he say?" she questioned, a wrinkle forming between her brows as she tried to role play the imaginary situation.

"I don't think so," she stated, sounding out the words. "No, that's not mysterious enough, not sexy enough."

Eyes widening in response, Hei was really confused as to how 'mysterious' and 'sexy' related to what he was supposed to say in response. They had been through these situations on multiple occasions; usually he didn't say anything at all. In fact, he just turned his head to gaze at her momentarily before he vanished.

"Yes, yes. He doesn't say anything," she said as if she were channelling his thoughts. "He turns and gives me an intense stare. Our eyes connect briefly and before I can even pull the trigger or get close, he's gone."

She sighed. She shook her head as if she didn't like that thought. As for Hei, he was still having trouble understanding what it was that she was trying to imagine. Everything she said so far had been accurate, so what was there left to be unsatisfied with?

"I still think he should say something," she murmured, "since his voice sends shivers of delight down my spine. But what would be appropriate?"

"You're under arrest!"

Starting over from the beginning again, she hit the rewind button in her head and tried this one more time. She thought it would be easier than this, but apparently her imagination was very weak. Then again, it made sense since she was usually too busy delving into the world of reality. She really needed to practice this more often. It was kind of fun.

"Only if you capture me," she added, trying to imitate his voice. "It just doesn't sound right when I do it..."

"Only if you capture me," Hei whispered, following her lead.

"Yes! Exactly!"

A slow grin spread across her lips. Hearing his exact voice in her head had kick started her imagination and it took off on overdrive. A shiver went down her body as she revelled in her fantasy of engaging the Black Reaper in an unconventional manner.

"Stop! Don't go!" she exclaimed.

He moved closer to the ledge as she always seemed to chase him to rooftops. When he reached it, he turned to stare at her with those dark and fathomless eyes. Usually, he would have jumped by now, but since it was her fantasy, he stayed where he was. His gaze was unwavering and she slowly made her way towards him, a little apprehensive that he would jump at the last second.

"Don't go," she repeated, holding up a hand as if she would grab onto him.

"Tell me your name," she stated a moment later when he didn't say anything.

"Hei."

"No! Don't go!" she exclaimed again, reaching out to him as his figure turned in her mind's eye.

She managed to grab onto him and she was pleased that he stopped. If he jumped, he would have to take her with him. There were so many things she wanted to say to him and more importantly, so many things she wanted him to say.

Stiffened like a board, Hei stood in front of Misaki, worried that she would suddenly open her eyes. He still had no idea what she was thinking, but had managed to answer her question regarding his name. It never occurred to him that she didn't know it; then he recalled that she always called him BK-201, his Messier code. Unexpectedly, she had grabbed onto the collar of his jacket.

"Don't go," she murmured again.

"I'm not going anywhere unless I take you with me," Hei replied as she was still clinging to his jacket.

She sighed in relief like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Clearly, whatever she was thinking about had consumed her mental capacities completely. She couldn't even tell that he was standing there. Every ounce of her concentration seemed to be focused on what was happening in her head. Because of it, it piqued his interest even more.

"Kirihara," he said, wondering if he should rouse her from her daze.

"No!" she exclaimed vehemently. "Call me Misaki."

"Misaki..."

Nodding her head, a slow, sultry smile blossomed on her lips. Whatever Hei had been about to say vanished with her reaction. Her fingers tightened around his jacket and she subconsciously tugged him a little closer. To avoid bumping into her, he was forced to place his hand lightly at her hip.

"Hei," she whispered, her voice slightly breathless. "Take me."

Flabbergasted by her words, Hei's mind blanked. He had no idea how an innocent nightly visit had turned into something like this... Her fingers still clutched at him and she made a small step into him, closing the distance between them. Luckily, it didn't seem like she actually wanted a response.

"Touch me," she pleaded softly. "Love me."

When he still didn't respond, she gently placed her free hand on his chest and stroked upwards until it rested lightly on his shoulder. To his utter amazement, her eyes were still closed. It was like she was living a dream, not actually realizing that he was right there, listening to every word she was saying.

"Please," she finally added.

He knew he shouldn't do anything. He even resisted her, for approximately two seconds, before he was forced to take action. Already, he was charmed by her despite everything that they had going against them. Now, she was pleading with him so prettily... How could he possibly ignore her when she wanted him, even when he was the Black Reaper? Not Li, but him, as the Black Reaper.

Misaki's eyes flashed open when her body moved on its own; to find that her vision was blurry and to find that her feet were no longer touching the ground. Her arms quickly tightened around his neck despite her surprise at being held in the Black Reaper's arms. She had been fantasizing, so how did things turn out this way?

"H - Hei?" she asked nervously, recalling the name from her so-called daydream.

He didn't answer verbally, but turned those captivating eyes her way and she sucked in a slight breath of air. He didn't explain why he was there or where they were going, but she had unknowingly come onto him... A tinge of blush touched her cheeks and she buried her face into his shoulder, thoroughly embarrassed.

"W - Where are my glasses?" she inquired, realizing why she couldn't see that well.

"Safe. You won't need them."

He gazed at her for a moment longer before he shifted her weight. When he was certain that she was held securely in his arms, he reached to his side to pull out his wire again. She had been the one to ask for it, to beg for it. He wasn't going to let her off the hook this time.

"Where are we going?" she asked when he started to run.

"Where we need to be."

She glanced up at him, but his attention was focused in front of them. Gazing at the mask that still covered his face, she wondered what he was thinking. A million questions swirled together in her mind, but none of them made way to her lips. Instead, she could only hold on tightly and wonder how her fantasy had magically turned into reality.

"Hei?"

"What is it?" he asked softly.

"Mm mm... It's nothing," she finally answered, resting her head against his shoulder once more.

They were meeting on equal grounds, sort of, and she didn't feel threatened in the slightest. In fact, her thoughts brought her back to the original topic that had brought her to this point in time. Snuggling against his warmth a little more, Misaki could only smile to herself.

No, she might not have love, marriage or children. But after this, she could honestly say that she didn't give a damn. Life with Contractors, or Hei specifically, was much more exciting and interesting than anything a marriage could offer her. Deep down, she admitted that she craved the thrill of this undefined relationship; the hunt and chase; the danger; and now, the sweeter yet unexpected moments like this.


End file.
